The Virginia*Carolina Early Dirt Racing Association, founded by Bill Mangum in l987, announced that Patrick County racer Billy Martin was inducted into the 2020 Early Dirt Racers Wall of Fame in recognition of his racing career accomplishments.
He received an impressive wooden plaque signifying his induction.
The Wall of Fame includes Glen and Bernece Wood, Rex White, and many others who made an outstanding contribution to the sport of racing.
Martin feels honored to have been included in this group of inductees.
Martin, who lives in the Moorefield Store area with wife Trecia, has been involved with race cars since 1968. He began driving in 1975, and first practiced at Asbury Speedway, a dirt track literally cut out of the side of a hill, a few miles southeast of Mt. Airy, N.C.
His first race was in the Hobby Division at 311 Speedway, a dirt track in Madison, N.C. After twenty years of racing on dirt tracks, Martin switched to asphalt, and has accrued 50 wins combined on both track types. He won his first asphalt race at Franklin County Speedway, Callaway, VA in 1996. His first track championship followed at Calloway a year later.
Martin eventually expanded to late model stock car racing, and has won late model stock car championships twice.
In 2014, Mike Looney was brought onboard as driver for Billy Martin Racing #87. Martin’s competitive team enjoyed success and Victory Lane at several tracks, even though it started in last position at times. In October, 2016 the team won the prestigious late model race, the Martinsville Speedway ValleyStar Credit Union 300.
In September, 2019, Billy Martin Racing won the Motor Mile Speedway Late Model Track Championship, captured the honors of first in late model points in the Virginia State Championship, and second place in the 2019 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National Championship.
Martin’s team started the 2021 season with its initial race on March 6 at the CARS TOUR Late Model Tour Season Opener at Dillon Motor Speedway.
Sponsors include Hopkins Lumber, Velocita-USA, A-1 Heating and Cooling, Performance Friction Brakes, and CF Miller.
Fans may follow Billy Martin Racing/Black Cloud Motorsports on Facebook. The page also includes upcoming races, interviews, and fan apparel. Many more of the team’s racing details and performances are located on race22.com and YouTube.